Congress may squeeze last-minute cliff talks between Christmas and New Year’s

Chances are up that Congress may have to come back to Washington right after Christmas to finish work on a fiscal-cliff deal, Politico is reporting Monday morning, citing top officials in the Democratic and Republican parties.

That would give lawmakers less than a week to put the finishing touches on any deal to avoid the tax increases and spending cuts set to begin on Jan. 1.

“We’re hearing the Republican inclination to cave has lessened, or at least been postponed,” Politico’s Mike Allen reported.

The moving fiscal-cliff goalposts come after the two sides hardened their positions over the weekend, with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner saying there won’t be a deal without an increase in income tax rates and House Speaker John Boehner digging in about refusing to raise those rates.